Melanoma incidence continues to rise in Europe

A retrospective study compared the incidence and mortality rates of melanoma across 45 countries in 2012 and the change in incidence between 2000 and 2012 in each country [1]. Data sources were the World Health Organization´s recently released 2012 GLOBOCAN cancer databases and 45 countries with the highest quality incidence and mortality data.

The highest melanoma incidence (per 100,000 individuals) was found in New Zealand (35.8), followed by Australia (34.9), Switzerland (20.3), the Netherlands (19.4), and Denmark (19.2).

Females had a higher incidence than males in 23 of 45 countries. A female predominance was particularly common in Europe (in 21 of 27 countries). A slightly different result was found with regard to melanoma mortality (per 100,000 individuals). Again, the leading countries were New Zealand (4.7) and Australia (4.0), but followed by Norway (3.6), Slovenia (3.1), and Sweden (2.8). Mortality was higher in males than in females in the majority of countries (41 of 45), including all countries in Europe.

Melanoma incidence between 2000 and 2012 increased in almost all countries, but an increase by >100% was found in both sexes in Italy and the United Kingdom, in females only in Japan, and in males only in Spain and Switzerland.

“Although the burden of melanoma is greatest in New Zealand and Australia, it appears to be stabilising in these countries, eventually due to public health campaigns for sun-safety and early detection,” observed medical student Emily Dando, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, during the presentation. However, incidence and mortality remain high and a continuing increase is seen in many European countries.

1. Dano, E. Abstract 6671, AAD Annual Meeting, February 16–20 2018.



Posted on 20 December 201825 March 2021